Button blank chucking mechanism



Jm 1e,194o. E. CCARRIS Em l 2,187,266

BUTTON BLANK CHUCKING MCHANISM Filed June 14. 1957 sP--Mf l M1 kw, $54

" loge/ga n.

` l l Application An object of: ouffinvntiontis Ito provide ia buttongfblankf chucking` mechanism," of simple, Y

" `dnralble and; inexpensive construction.

A A rmtnepgbjectiisftq prqvidela button blank `chucking mechanism` especially ladapted for use in connection` withthe bttonwbla'nk feeding `rnechanisrnf..., M l l A.; further object is-1` to provide lmechanism f "which, isassociated with spaced,trayeling chucks in such manner that` a` portion; of `the ,mechf `anism engages` achuckas itjpassesja certain point, and` thus causes Aa Aportion of the chuck- M ing mechanism to move, an ejector in synchronismlwith the chuckior the `purpose oi ejecting l a` `blanllz accurately." from .the` feed plate linto the blank chuckingfmechanism especially adapted forbntton blanks, which is `operable to eject blank;` periodically thereto accurately into d the chucks as they pass-the chuckingmechansm.

1 Another objectisvto provide chuckingniechanisrnincludingl a movable; clinckerhead hav- `ing, an `ejector `ior thewbutton blanks for ejecting theni intoisuccessive `cllucks las .theblanks are `fed periodically yintothe chucking mechanism,

the chucker head having .actuating'lrneans the form of,` hook zarnls successivelyfengageable inventioniconsists `i ment and combination of the various parts of i claims, andy illustrated with raeehacks, `which hoolarms areretamed `in hooked positiorij' by a togglefconnectionand e released by,brea'king` ofthe. toggle joint.

with these* am; ferner obijects in View; `our l,the construction, arrangeour buttonjfblank chucking mechanism, `whereby the` objects contemplatedare attained, as herein? drawing, in which: f i Figure 1 is a plan View of la trating` our biankdchucking `rnechanisIn asso- Figure'Z is an enlarged OiFignreQp." l l `11 i.

, Cliigurefi` is asectional':Viewl `on -1 the-line `4 4 "ofmFigureZf, A :K l f l f Figure 5 is fan l enlarged sectional viewon `the ESI , June 14, 1937, sena-i No. 148,127

6 claims. (C1. jef-"117) in the accompanying plurality `of spaced, traveling button blank receiving chucks, and illus-` h elevation f "samlpokf ing inthe; direction of `the .arrQW., 2" `*adj-mm;

IB llionnLliNn CHCKINGMCHANISM j Cai-ris and Jerry Carris,` Washingt0n,` Iowa;` assignorsto. Iowa. Button Machineryy Company; Washington, Iowa, a corporation of*` i On the,acconipanying` drawingy we have used the `referg'ence `characterSwto indicate generally a support forour blankehucking mechanismgG a `guide made stationary by being mounted on` said support, lH` a chucker head, P affeed plate i andfE an ejector forY button" blanks.

. Ohr blank chucking mechanism is adaptable for :use in connectionV with the usual type yoil traveling, spaced blank chucks Il), which are` l connected together by` a` flexible. chain |2," and which form no part of our `present invention,

the blank chuckingmechanism beingmerely used for automaticallyfplacing blanks in the successive chucks, `thus eliminating the necessityfof doing this operation manually. Our blank chuck-` evident from an inspection of Figure12,510A

The` feea plate i `is mounted; stationary by `Way of 'illustration we show`an"eje'ctor` plate I4 and a transfer baril 6 which lformno part of `the,presentinvention, V,init which will be found application" hereinbefore re- 'ina mechanism *is mounted above the` blank," emci s"` fajas being secured to thej` guide GL It comprises a leaf spring mounted just `above the chucks I andis adapted toreceive theblanks B which are feclthereto in anysuitablamanner. By M support S. VThe chucker head H comprises-a' friction' means ofv `lslidahle I connection between the head H and guide G are provided.

" This` may be` accomplished by forming `\,.'shape` :l Ways 22 inthe guide G and locating f afpcirof ball bearings 24' ineach way 22. `The balls Mare backed by plungers 26 and set screws 28, which., may be' utilized for accurately alining .the head H relative to thekguideG, and taking up the play between the parts ,preferably to a. degree permittingfreesliding movement 'of "the headpliA without sufiicientplay to permit l any wabbling thereof.

l. The head1-Iy is normally retained in a retracted position by` a `coil `spring 3U.

ranged at an angle relative to the: plane of `travel lotthe headH so aste minimize` the stretching "tnereof,asit is `elestrarre1tohgnfe [butlsught 55I jbodygportion I8 .having `a central `bore 20. The bore Znfsnrroundsgthe guide -G and an ranti- 5.0. This spring, `it` Will be noted by reference` to Figure 2, `is artension5 on vthe `headfI-I so-that the chucking mechanism vcan operate freely in response to movements of thechucks I 0. f Journalled in the head I-I is a pair of vertical rock shafts 32. On Athe lower ends of these rock .shafts the hook-like actuator arms A are secured. On their upperl ends toggle leversl '34 are secured, and theseare connected together by a pair of toggle links `36. These links, as

shown" by solid lines in Figure 3, normally retain the hook arms A closed vto such a positionthat i they will engage the circumference of 'a 'chuckl lll at two points spaced on opposite sides of the center line of the chuck, but will be released from the chuck inan advanced position thereof,

as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3.

In order to effect such release, the toggle connection must be `broken at its joint-and this is accomplished by a joint breaker 38. The joint .breaker 38 acts as a stop forithe toggle links 3E, and is .preferably provided with a shock absorber such as a spring 40. As shown by dashlines in Figure 43, when the toggle connection strikes the joint breaker 38, the joint will be broken so that as the arms A pull the head H forwardly, the

' arms will be spread, finally assuming the dotted gages the hook` arms.

position of Figure 3, which releases the head H, permitting the chuck Ill, to pass onand thehead H to be returned `by the spring 3Il. vIn this man- 'ner the head H is movedA in exact synchronism `with'the chuck l0 and returned after it is released therefromv to Upon the links 3s striking the base l1 of the ,guide G, they will bevstraightened out, `which swings the hook arms A;A again toward each other so that they will be inposition to engage the next advancing chuck -lll and the cycle kof operation will then be repeated. .f

. During the movement ofthe chucker head H forwardly along the guide G,the ejector E will .engagethe blank B for pushing yit along the feed plate P and into the* chuck l0. The ejector E is pivoted to the head'H bya pivot pin 42 carried by ears 44 extending downwardly from the head Tand rests by gravity Vagainst the plate Pf The advancing end of the ejector Eis V-shaped,

as` shown in Figure 4,50 as to engage the'blank B with two point contact and center it relative to the chuck Ill, thus insuring that the blank will be accurately centered laterally in the chuck. It 'will Valso be accurately centered relative to the line of travel of the chuck by the ejector E being properly spaced relative to the hook arms A which, of course, may be readily predetermined. The head H is provided with a spring latch 46 ,which is engaged bythe `chucks I0 as they successively passthe chucking mechanism and which snaps behind ther chuck from the dotted position shown in Figure 2 to the solid line position imme- .diately before the forward part of the chuck en- Ths prevents any rebounding of the head relative tothe chuck upon the arms A being engaged bythe vchucks as they Amove, and thus accurately synchronizes the movement of theheadwith the chuck. The latch' 46 and the arms A engage the chuck with three point contact. i y

'; f In Figure 6, we show a modified construction,

in which a supporting bar 50 is provided having a slot 52 therein. rI'he length of the slot is adjustable. by means of a block 54, which is adjusttable by means of .a block 54, which is slidable in f relativel to the supporting arm 50. A clamp screw the' full line positions of .Figures 2 and 3.

56 normally retains the block 54 in any desired position of adjustment. l

The toggle links 36 are provided with an extended center pin 58 which is adapted to travel in the slot 52. This pin is adapted to engage opposite ends of the slot 52 (theleft edge of the block 54 constituting the. right end of the slot). When thei toggle links are moved forward, the joint is broken by the pin 58 engaging the block .54 while when 'the links are moved rearwardly or toward the.left,the pin engages the left end of the slot 52, thusA returning the toggle joint to its initial position. y

Although there issome looseness between the slot'52 and the pin 58, the two cooperate with each other to retain the toggle connection substantially closeqto a central position, thus eliminating the possibility of excessive swinging of the arms'A to either the right or left as yis possible with the construction shown in the preceding gures. l

Our blank chucking mechanism it will be obvious is readily adaptable for automatically feeding button blanks into successive chucks as they pass' the feeding mechanism, thus eliminating the necessity of doing this manually.

The mechanism is so designed that absoluteA synchronism of the mechanism and chucks is obtained,` and accurate centering of the blanks 'l relative to the chucks is accomplished.

` The mechanism is also particularly adapted for'use in connection with the blank feeding mechanism of our co-pending application, or any i `other` mechanism which will periodically feed the blanks to the feed plate P at properly spaced intervals corresponding to the periodicityy of the `chucks I in'their passage relative to the blank chucking mechanism.

Some changes may be made inthe construction and arrangement of the parts of our button blank chucking mechanism without departing `from the real spirit and purpose of our inyventionand it is our intention to cover by our Aclaims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

`We claim as `our invention:

l. Ina blank chucking mechanism for use with spaced, traveling blank receiving chucks, a sta I tionary guide, a chucker head movable relative A thereto and having an actuator to engage a chuck as it moves relative to the guide for carrying said ,chucker head with the chuck, a feed plate to receive blanks periodically, said' chucker head having an ejector engageable with a blank on said feed plate when said head is moved by a chuck for ejecting the blank from said feed plate and into the chuck, said actuator comprising a pair `of pivoted hook arms having ends engageable with the chuck, a toggle connection between said hook arms at the opposite side of the pivots to lthereto andhaving an actuator to engage a chuck as it moves relative to the guide for carrying said -chucker head with thechuck, a feed plate to reing an ejector engageable `with a; blank on said 3 feed plate Whensaidhead is fmoved by a `chuck `forejectingithe blankfrom said Vfeed plate `and i into 'the `chuck,said"actuator comprisinga pair of hook arms pivotally mounted with relation to the chucker `headiaridhaving ends engageable i With `the chuck, atoggleconnection between said tain the ends in aiset position engageablewith prising a slot and pinconnection vadapted to coni `tactfthe central portion of the joint, the `slot being of lless length thanthe travel? of the chucker-head. J t3. In a blank chucking mechanism forluse with` spaced, traveling blank receiving chucks, astatio-nary guide, a chlickerwhead movable relative l `thereto .and having an actuator to `engagea chuck i as it moves relative to the guide for carrying said j.ceive'blanksy periodically,` said chucker head hav` f chucker head with thechuck, a feed plateto re` ing an ejectorV engageabie wana mank onfsaid lfeed plate when saidihead is moved" by achuck i for" ejecting the blankfrom fsaid feed plate and into 'the' chuck, said actuator comprising `a pair` or separably pivotedliook `arms engageablewith the chuck,` a toggle connection betweenfsaid hook l arms"adapt`ed`` in normal position to" retain them l in chuckzf engagingposition vand a joint breaker mounted on said guide and engageableiwith said toggle connectionwhenlshifted from its normal position to break :the jointjthereof forreleasing said hook arms` from; thachuckengagingposition aiterfablank `has been` ejected from said l, 40, A able with saidsupport and returned thereby to" i its normal vposition and; adaptedto` return said i' "hook `arms to positionffor,engagingjthe nextf ,Chuok. j i' i j b [y In a blank` chucking l mechanism, 'aj guida `a i y chucker head movable relative thereto and havingwan actuator toengageafchuck as it moves` relative to the` guide iorcairying saidvjchucker head1, vvithl thechucka kfeed platetto; receive blanks periodicallyysaid chucker headhaving an` ejector pivoted thereto, resting on said feed plate reed platefsaid toggle connection being `engageand engageable Withafblank thereon; whenrsald i -heald is moved by a chuck forejecting theblank i j, y c 12,187,266 have bianks'periodicaliy; saidchecker,interim-1` 'l ejected fromfsaid feed plate,

and engageablev with saidtoggle connection to 3 from saidfeed plate `and into 4the chuck, saidf` actuatorcomprising alpairwof hook arms engagei `able with the chuck, atogglelconnection between said hook arms adaptedto normally lock them inv i chuck engaging position` and ajoint breaker `for f said ltoggle vconnection mounted on said guide break the joint thereofiorvunlocking said hook,

biank has `been ejected from saidfeed plate, and

`arms fromfthe chuck engaging position aftera means operable to return `said hook arms tonor-` l l mally locked position for engaging the next chuck as said ehucker head moves in a return direction. l

`5; ln -a Yblank chucking mechanism, a guide, a cliucker head movable relative thereto having anactuator to engage achuck as it moves relaperiodicallm said chucker head having an ejector tive tothe guide for carrying said chuckerhead l withfthe chuck, a iced plategto receive blanks gageable with the chuck, a toggle connection between said chucker head and said hook adapted to normally retainsaidhook arm in chuck engagingpostion and a stationarily mounted joint thereof for releasing said hook arm from the chuck engaging position after av blank has been i 6. In a blank chucking` mechanism, a movable chuckenhead having any actuator to engage a chuck as` it moves past the head for carrying said chucker head along with'said chuck, a feed `plate to receive blanks periodically, said chucker headhavinganl ejector engageable with a blank L on. said feed plate when said head is moved by a` chuckfor ejecting theblank fromfsaid feed plate and into the chuck, said actuator comprising a pairr oi- `hook arms pivoted` so as to move toward .each other to closed positionto engage the chuck,

a jointed toggle connection between `the-said hook arms to normally retain them `in"chuck engaging position, ajoint breaker -forsaid toggle connec` "tion mounted on said guidev and engageable withf said toggle connection to break the joint thereof `and thereby open said hook varms for releasing them iromthe chuckl after) a blank has `been.`

ejected -into thechuck;`

JERRY lyonnais.`

5o l EDWARD c. CARRis; ,l 

